2 Samuel 3:6-4:3, 4:5-4:12 Injustice! In a broken, sinful world injustice surrounds us. 2 Samuel 3-4 is filled with unjust killings. Abner is killed as an act of revenge by Joab. Then Ish-Bosheth is murdered by Rekab and Baanah. Much of the Bible describes events rather than approves of what occurs. We see this same thing when David mandates the return of his wife Michal, despite already having at...  Read More

2 Samuel 2:1-3:5; 1 Chronicles 3:1-4; 2 Samuel 23:8-17; 1 Chronicles 11:10-19; 2 Samuel 23:18-39; 1 Chronicles 11:20-47 David’s Mighty Men! Our eyes might glaze over the listed names, but a closer look reveals some interesting facts. 1 Chronicles 11 lists David’s warriors at the beginning of his reign, and 2 Samuel 23 lists them at the end of his reign. When we look at these lists, there is a glar...  Read More

1 Samuel 30:1-31; 1 Chronicles 12:20-22; 1 Samuel 31: 1-13; 1 Chronicles 10:1-14, 9:40-44; 2 Samuel 4:4, 1:1-27 The book of 2 Samuel begins with a lament. Lamenting was a common practice in ancient near eastern culture but is foreign to us. We think of grief as something to be hidden, ignored, or rushed through. We value the appearance of happiness above everything; thus, we are not good at dealin...  Read More

1 Samuel 26:1-27:7; 1 Chronicles 12:1-7; 1 Samuel 27:8-29:11; 1 Chronicles 12:19; Psalm 56 Everyone has a longing for the transcendent—the pursuit of what they deem as meaningful and lasting. In today's reading we come across a bizarre story in Saul's pursuit of God. God has rejected Saul as king and refuses to communicate with him through the means which God had provided for Israel (sacrifices, p...  Read More

1 Samuel 23:13-29; Psalm 54; 1 Samuel 24:1-25:44 Treat others how you want to be treated. This is one of the most fundamental lessons that parents attempt to instill in their children. This attitude is so difficult, because our broken hearts long to lash out at those who have hurt us. The Bible teaches and Jesus models a radically different ethic than to treat others how you have been treated. We ...  Read More

1 Samuel 22:1-2; Psalm 57, 142; 1 Chronicles 12:8-18; 1 Samuel 22:3-23; Psalm 52; 1 Samuel 23:1-12 It is hard to wait. Whether we are waiting for an upcoming event, for a promised gift, or for a procedure, much of life is waiting. We have reached a point in David's life where he is learning to become a master of the waiting game. He has been anointed king but has been sitting around for years wait...  Read More

1 Samuel 20:1-21:15; Psalm 34 As David flees from Saul, he turns first to safety with Ahimelek, the priest at Nob, and then to Israel's enemies in Gath, the hometown of Goliath, who was killed by David. Both places of supposed safety are quickly shown to be anything but safe. As David writes in Psalm 34 his trust is in God who delivers and saves and is a place of refuge. Dr. Thomas Constable write...  Read More

1 Samuel 17:32-19:17; Psalm 59; 1 Samuel 19:18-24 What is the most common command in the Bible? Before you continue reading, take a minute to think about it.The most common command in the Bible is: Do not be afraid. We see people respond in fear to a myriad of situations— from something small to something overwhelming, to events that might happen today or things in the far future. So, God must rem...  Read More

1 Samuel 15:1-17:31 Saul seems like the perfect picture of a king—tall and handsome, but as we have seen, his internal disposition did not match his external beauty. Even Samuel was sucked into the idea that a true leader should be obvious in his appearance. When God rejected Saul and told Samuel to anoint a new king, he assumed that the tallest, oldest son of Jesse must be the one. God reminded S...  Read More

1 Chronicles 9:35-39; 1 Samuel 13:1-5, 13:19-22, 13:6-18, 13:23-14:1-52 A great struggle in many of our lives is whether we are ultimately trying to please God or people. If we seek to please people, we will end up drifting along with the opinions and actions of our culture. If we are pleasing God, we will walk in obedience to him regardless of what others do. Saul is shown to constantly be moved ...  Read More

1 Samuel 9:1-12:25 Saul would have looked much like a modern-day politician. He was tall and good looking but, as we will see, his physical attributes could not hide his spiritual weaknesses. He was meant to lead the people but lacked the ability to even lead himself. He was placed in a position that only God should fill; thus, was an inferior king. This is the mistake Israel made. They thought th...  Read More

1 Samuel 4:12-8:22Eli discovers his sons are dead and the ark has been taken. As a result of their disobedience the people of God have been defeated and Eli dies heartbroken. His daughter-inlaw gives birth to a child, Ichabod, which means “the glory has departed” (1 Samuel 4:21). Things seem grim, but even during these terrible times there is hope. God has raised up Samuel who is listening and wil...  Read More